Feeler mechanism for looms



Jan. 5 1926'. I 1,568,637

M. L. STONE FEELS]! IECHANISI FOR LOOKS Filed June 10, 1925 2 'Shg ets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY Jan. 5 1926.

M. L. STONE inns: ucmzsu' ron noous I'iiod Jun. 10, 1925 2 Sheets- Shoot 2 INVEZV TCR,

v AfroRNEY Patented Jan. 5, 1926. i

" UNITED OFFICE.

nELvrN L. STONE, or LAWRENCE, msncnusn'r'rs, 'Assmn'on TO DRAPER coarom TION, or HOPEDALE, MAssAcnUsE'r'rs-n CORPORATION or MAINE.

FEELER MECHANISM FOR LOOMS.

ng ncanon filed June 10, 1925. Serial No. 36,088..

To all whom it may concern: v 7

Be it known that I, MELVIN-L. STONE, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Lawrence, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Feeler Mechanisms for Looms, of which the following description,

' in connection with the accompanying drawings, isv a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts. o This invention relates to feeler mecha isms for looms whereby the operative condition of the loom is changed from time to time, as by replenishment of --filling.

Feeler mechanisms now in general use provide a feeler which is normally under the influence of means tending to move it to rearward feeling position, and when the feeler is performing its feeling function on a detecting beat, the fullimpact of the feeleris exerted against the filling in the shuttle, with the result that the filling is injured and such injury is especially noticeable in some characters or kinds of filling. A One of the objects of thepresent invention is tov provide a feeler mechanism wherein the feeler shall be given an initialfrontward movement on a detecting beat bymeans independent of the filling, to the end that the filling may engage the feeler during its initial frontward movement and thereby be relieved of injurious contact by the feeler, which may thereafter act in the usual manner common to feeler mechanisms. for effecting a change in loonio eration when substantial exhaustion of the lling is detected in the shuttle. I j

The invention, novel features vand new combination of parts will best be made-clear from the following'description and the accompanying drawings of one good 'practical formthereof.

In the drawings f t Fig. 1 is a perspective view at-the, feeler side ofaloom provided with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective -view,

' showing more particularly the construction of'a' feeler having an'impmging and a' penetrating member with which the present 1nventionmay be advantageously employed;

Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevatio'nof a feeler mechanism having an impinging and penetrating member and the means for imparting the ,i 'tial front/ward movement tothefeeler;and V E Fig. ,4 is asimilar side elevation of a feelermechanism of "the measuring type, having associated therewith the present inven tron Feeler qmechanisms are now generally employed to effect replenishment of filling when that in the active shuttle becomes substantiallyexhausted, and the present invention is shown 1 in connection with such general,=mechanism, but it is to be'understood, ofcourse, that the feeler mechanism may actthrough a train of devices for effecti'ng other changes in the loom opera? tion,- such as stopping, the loom, for in stance. not herein illustrated and described because the Cdetailsthereof form no essential part of the present invention and are now well understood infthe art.

The loom frame 1 may be of useful con- 1 which is adapted ,tolbe engaged at times by an operating member 8gwhich may be conveniently formed as orsecured -to. the cam follower. g j

Pivotally mounted on the shipper stand 9 at 1O,is an arm 11, the end 12 of-which extends beneath the actuator 6 as shown.

The arm 11 has extended therefrom at the other side vof its pivotal support, an arm 13 provided withfa cam portion 1%,; over which, extends the transmitter- 15 which may be constituted. as an arm'pivotally mounted at 16 and normally under the influence of a spring 17 for holdingthe transmitter in structionbut as showncon'stitutes one ood practical form of means under centre of the feeler. mechanism .for effecting replenhment f The replenishing mechanism is 8.5 or actuator 6, the rear end portion ,7 of

mo its rearward normal position Theamecha- 1 nismso far described maybe varied in conmemes? frontwardly during detecting beat and just prior to engagement of-the feeler with the filling, the construction of parts being such that as the cam is turned to impart the initial frontward movement to the feeler, the filling itself is moved. frontwardly due to lay-movement, but at a higher rate of speed than the feeler itself, so that during the trontward initial movement of the feeler, the filling will engage the feeler and continue its frontward movementfthat .the feeler may act to call the change if conditions warrant it. a V

In the teeler construction shown by Fig.

4, the feeler is of the measuring type, that is,

the feeler slide has-its rear portion 55 mounted for engagement with the filling, andpivotally mounted on the feeler slide at 56 is the frontwardly extending arm 57 having adjustably secured thereto a hunter 58 adapted tobe engaged by the wall of the shuttle or shuttlebox when thefeeler' detects substantial exhaustion'of the filling, to thereby position the arm 57 "for engagement with the transmitter 15 .and eifect a change in the loom operation. The feeler construction 1 last described may be of .usual character and associated therewith is thedownwardly extending arm which cooperates with the cam 49 through thebunter 52 .on a detecting beat to start the feeler frontwardly just rior to its engagement with the filling, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4, so that as the lay continues its'frontward movement, the filling will engage the feeler during the frontward movementthereof which is being imparted to it through the cam .49 and projection or arm 45. V e

.- It may be desired .at times to limit the throw of the cam 49 and to this end the the parts are. re-latedjas shown in Fig. 1.

Likewise, it may be desirable at times to a especially in high speed looms, and to this end the bracket 46 has another stop 61 against which the pin'60 may strike as the lay moves frontward under high speed, should the hunter upon it overthrow the cam movement. As the lay goes back, of course the wei ht of the arm 51 and bunter 52 will carry 1; e cam to its initial position, as indicated in Fig. 1 and by dotted lines in Figs. 3 and 4.

From the constructon described as one good practical form of the present invention, it will be ap arent that on a detecting beat of the lay, t e latter will engage the hunter 52 prior to the engagement of the feeler with the filling and by turning movement of the cam 49 will act upon the proprevent overthrow of the cam 49 by the jection orarm45 to move the feeler front? wardly at a speed dependent upon the con tour of the camfwhich should be such that the front-ward initial movement of the feeler is somewhat less than the frontwa rd movement of the lay. or filling in the shuttle, with the result thatras the lay heats up, the filling will engage the feeler during the initial frontward movement of the teeler and thereby avoid injurious contact with tho filling, while .permitting'the feeler itself tozcall for the change of filling when that in the shuttle is substantially exhausted.

' .fWhat is claimed is:

1. In a'feeler mechanism for looms, the combination. of the lay, filling detecting mechanism mounted in front of the lay, means for. moving the detecting mechanism frontwardly-ata lower speed than theapproaching lay on a detecting beat that the filling may be engaged by the detecti-n mechanism with non-injurious contact, and means for. changing the loom operation when the detecting mechanism detects substantial exhaustion of filling. I

2. In a feeler mechanism 'for looms, the combination of a feeler mounted in front of the. lay to engage the filling on detecting beats as thelaya'p roaches the feeler, means controlled by the eeleritoefiect a change in the loom operation on detection of substantialexhaustion, and means for starting the feeler frontwardly on detecting beats in adpreaching lay before the eeler engages the filling to avoid injurious impact'ofthe feeler against the filling.

3. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a feeler mounted in front of thelay to engage the filling on detecting beats as the lay approaches'the feeler, means for imparting an initial frontward movement to thefeeler on a detectingbeat before it is overtaken by the approaching lay that the feeler may engage :the' filling with non- 'injuriouscontact, and means for initiating replenishment of filling.

4. In a feeler' mechanism for looms, the

combination of a feeler mounted in front of the lay, means for causing the feeler to be moved frontwardly on a detecting beat before the feeler engages the filling and at a slower speed than the approaching lay to engage the filling as the feeler and lay move frontwardly to avoid injurious contact with the filling, and filling replenishing means at the opposite side of the loom controlled in its operation by the feeler. i

5. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a feeler mounted in front of the lay, means for moving the feeler frontwardly on detecting beats as the lay approaches the feeler before the feeler strikes the filling, and at a speed less than that of the lay'that the feeler may engage the filling as the approaching lay overtakes the feeler, and means controlled b 1 the feeler for effecting replenishment o filling.

6. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a feeler mounted in front of the lay, means normally acting to move the feeler to its rearward feeling position, means for starting the feeler frontwardly in front of the approaching lay before the feeler strikes the filling that the feeler may engage the filling with non-injurious contact, and means controlled by the feeler for effecting a change in the loom operation.

7. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a feeler, means normally acting to move the feeler to its rearward feeling position, lay actuated means for starting the feeler frontwardly from its rearward position before the feeler strikes the'filling that the feeler may engage the filling during frontward movement of the feeler with noninjurious contact, and means controlled by the feeler for effecting a change in the 100m operation.

8. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a feeler to detect the condition of the filling in the shuttle and effect a change in the loom operation on substantial exhaustion thereof, and means independent of the filling including a lay actuated cam and projection connected to the feeler for imparting an initial frontward movement to the feeler on a detecting beat before the feeler engages the filling and then permitting the feeler to engage the filling during the initial frontward movement of the feeler to relieve the filling from injurious impact by the feeler.

9. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a feeler mounted for movement towards and from the front of the loom, a cam, a part connected to the feeler and engaged by the cam when the feeler is in rearward feeling position, and means for actuating the cam before the feeler strikes the fillingon a detecting beat to start the feeler frontwardl'y for engagement'by the filling during such frontward movement of the feeler.

10. In a feeler mechanism' for looms, the combination of a feeler mounted for movement towards and from the front of the loom, a cam, a part connected to the feeler and engaged by the cam when the feeler is in rearward feeling position, and an arm connected to the cam and actuated by lay movement to withdraw the feeler frontwardly before the feeler strikes the filling that the feeler may engage the filling as the feeler is-being withdrawn frontwardly.

combination of a feeler mounted in front of the lay and comprising an impinging and a penetrating member, means normally acting to move the feeler to its rearward feeling position for engagement with the filling, means for starting the feeler frontwardly from its rearward feeling position' in front of the approaching lay at a speed less than that of the lay that the feeler may engage the filling with non-injurious contact, and means controlled by the penetrating member of the feeler for effecting replenishment of filling.

12. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a. feeler comprisingan impinging and a penetrating member, means for locking the impinging member projected beyond the penetrating member, means for starting the feeler frontwardly before the impinging member strikes the filling on at detecting beat to permit engagement With the filling during frontward movement of the feeler, means for unlocking the impinging member when the filling is nearly exhausted, and means actuated by the penetrating member for effecting replenishment of filling.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

MELVIN L. STONE.

6O 11. In a feeler mechanism for looms,'the 

